Casting apparatus



S. McFARLAND.

CASTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 27. 192i.

IASQAQ6,

INVENTOR Patented Nov. 7, 1922.

warren STATES SAMUEL BICFARLAND, 0F COATESVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

oAs'rINe APPARATUS.

Application filed December 27, 1921. Serial No. 525,126.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL MOFARLAND, acitizen of the United States, residing at Coatesville, Pennsylvania,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Casting Apparatus,whereof the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing.

My improvement is particularly applicable to internal stoppers forbottom-pour ladles, such as are used for casting steel. Ordinarily, sucha stopper consists of a head of refractory, and incidentally frangible,material, such as graphitic cement, having means to engage a stopperrod, by which said head may be raised and lowered, within the ladle, toopen and close a nozzle out-let at the bottom of theladle. The strainupon such frangible material incident to repeatedly reci irocating saidrod, of course tends to loosen and detach said head and thus permit theaccidental escape of the molten steel, with consequent loss and damage.I

It is an object of my invention to so construct and arrange a stopperhead of such frangible material that it is impossible to separate itfrom the stopper rod by any stresses to which it may be subjected duringthe ordinary operation of the apparatus. To that end; I provide astopper head molded of graphitic cement or other suit-- able refractorymaterial with a bifurcated metallicsh'ank permanently and rigidlyembedded therein, and provide such shank with means to detachably engagethe stopper rod.

My invention includes the various novel features of construction andarrangement hereinafter more definitely specified.

In said drawing; Fig. I is a plan view of a convenient embodiment of myinvention.

Fig. II is an elevation of the structure reen .111: Fig. 1.

Fig. III is a plan sectional view taken on the line III-J11 in Fig. II.r

Fig. 1V is an elevation of said structure shown in Fig. 11; but at rightangles to that View, and with a part of the stopperhead shown insection.

Fig. V is a plan view of a stopperhead embodying my invention, buthaving a modified form of shank imbedded therein. In said figures; thestopperhead it is molded of non-metallic refractory material, such asgraphtic cement, and in rigid connectlon with a bifurcated stopper shank2-. WhICh is conveniently formed of a rectangular wrought iron bar bentto U-shape, as best shown in Fig. IV. The bifurcated ends 3 of saidshank 2 extend above the conical neck 4 on said head 1, and are thereprovided with opposite coaxially alined holes 5 which may be drilled orpunched. Said head is so molded in the bight of said shank 2 as to forma socket 7 for the endof the stopper rod 8 which is provided with thecylindrical hole 9 to receive the cross pin 10 which is detachablyfitted in said shank holes 5, as shown. As shown in Figs. I and 11, saidstopper rod 8 is preferably made of less width than said socket 7, soasto permit a slight amount of play of said head 1 on said rod 8 to enablethe head to automatically accoinodate itself to the nozzle opening.

. The provision of said neck 4 upon said head 1 is advantageous in thatit protects the metallic shank and end of the stopper rod at a regionthat might be accidentally melted off, if not thus protected, as suchaccidents frequently occur with stopperheads of the ordinary form devoidof such a protecting neck.

As is well-known to those skilled in this art; such stopper rods areusually provided with protecting sleeves l3 formed of graphitic cement,ganister, or other suitable refractory sheathing material, and I preferto form an annular groove 15 in the top of said stopper head 1 toreceive the lower end of the protecting sleeve 13 as shown in Fig. IV.However, the weight of such sheathing material 13 is supportedindependently of said head 1 by the upper ends 3 of said shank 2 whichareconnected with said stopper rod 8 by the pin 10, as above described.p

. lellthough I have sao wn the stopper rod 8 as a single piece directlyconnected with said shank 2 as above described; such a rod isapproximately twelve feet long and, whenever its' end, adapted forengagement with the shank, becomes damaged, it would be more troublesometo transport it to and from the place where it must be repaired, and toeffect such repairs, than to manipulate a shorter piece. Therefore, itis advantageous to form such a rod in sections which may be coupled inany convenient manner, and I do not desire to limit myself to thespecific details o construction and arrangement thereof, which are notessential to the operation of my invention.

Of course, such stopperheads must be of different sizes and shapes, tofit the various forms of ladle outlet nozzles. is to be understood thatthe shank, imbedded in the stopperhead in accordance with my invention,may be shaped otherwise than as shown. For instance, it may be made ofwhat is known commercially as half round bar, with its rounded surfacespresented outwardly and thus afford a greater thickness of therefractory material in the neck, as indicated in Fig. V, as comparedwith the rectangular bar shown in Fig. III, the outer edges of whichproject to such a degree as to reduce the thickness of the refractorymaterial in the neck.

Although I prefer to form said shanks of wrought iron or steel, bent asabove described, of course, they may be formed of cast metal. Therefore,I do not desire to limit myself to the precise details of constructionand arrangement herein set forth, as it,is obvious that variousmodifications may be made therein, without departing from the essentialfeatures of my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In casting apparatus, the combination with a stopper-head, ofnon-metallic refractory material, such as graphitic cement, providedwith a conical neck and having an annular groove at the junction of saidhead and neck; of a metallic stopper shank includ ing a U-shaped bodyhaving its bight imbedded in said head and its bifurcated endsprojecting therefrom, through said neck; said bifurcated ends beingprovided with transversely extending holes in coaxial rela* tionexterior to said neck; the refractory material of said head beingrecessed between the bifurcations of said shank, to form a stopper rodsocket within said neck; a stopper rod detachably fitted in said socket,having a transversely extending hole in coaxial relation with the holesin said shank; and a cross pin extending in the holes of said shank andstopper rod, detachably connecting them in cooperative relation.

2. In casting apparatus, the combination with a stopper-head, ofnon-metallic refractory material, provided with a neck and having anannular groove at the junction of said head and neck; of a metallicstopper shank including a U-shaped body haying its bight imbedded insaid head and its bifurcated ends projecting therefrom, through saidneck; said bifurcated ends being provided with transversely extendingholes, in coaxial relation; the refractory material of said head beingrecessed between the bifurcations Moreover, it

of said shank, to form a stopper rod socket,

3. In casting apparatus, the combination with a stopper-head, ofnon-metallic refractory material, provided with a neck; of a metallicstopper shank including a U-shaped body having its bight imbedded in.said head and its bifurcated ends projecting therefrom, througl'i saidneck; said bifurcated ends being provided with transversely ex tendingholes, in coaxial relation; the refractory material of said head beingrecessed between the bifurcations of said shanlnto form a stopper rodsocket within said neck; a stopper rod detachably fitted in said socket,having a transversely extending hole in coaxial relation with the holesin said shank: and a cross pin extending in the holes of said shank andstopper rod, detachably connecting them in cooperative relation.

4. In casting apparatus, the combination with a stopper-head, ofnon-metallic refractory material; of a metallic stopper shank includinga U-shaped body having its bight imbedded in said head and itsbifurcated. ends projecting therefrom; said bifurcated ends beinprovided with transversely ex-- tending hoies, in coaxial relation; therefractory material of said head being recessed between the bifurcationsof said shank, to form a stopper rod socket; a stopper rod detachablyfitted in said socket, having a transversely extending hole in coaxialrelation with the holes in said shank; and a cross pin extending in theholes of said shank and stopper rod, detachably connecting them incooperative relation.

5. In casting apparatus, the combination with a stopper-head, ofnon-metallic refractory material; 'of a metallic stopper shank includinga U-shaped body having its bight imbedded in said head, and havingtransversely extending holes, in coaxial relation; the refractorymaterial of said head being recessed between the bifurcations of saidwith a stopper-head, of non-metallic refrac-.

tory material, such as graphitic cement, provided with a conical neckand having an annular groove at the junction of said head and neck; of ametallic stopper shank including a U-shaped body having its bightimbedded 1 ,eea me in said head and its bifurcated ends projectingtherefrom, through said neck; said bifurcated ends being provided withtransversely extending holes in coaxial relation exterior to said neck;the refractory material of said head being recessed between thebifurcations of said shank, to form a stopper rod socket.

7. In casting apparatus, the combination with a stopper-head, ofnon-metallic refractory material provided with a neck and having anannular groove at the junction of said head and neck; of a metallicstopper shank including a U-shaped body having its bight imbedded insaid head and its bifurcated ends projecting therefrom, through saidneck; said. bifurcated ends being provided with transversely extendingholes, in coaxial relation; the refractory material of said head beingrecessed between the bifurcations of said shank to form a stopper rodsocket.

8. In casting apparatus, the combination with a stopper-head, ofnon-metallic refractory material, provided With a neck; of a metallicstopper shank including a. U-shaped bod having its bight embedded insaid hea and its bifurcated ends projecting therefrom, through saidneck; said bifurcated ends being provided with transversely extendingholes, in coaxial relation; the re fractory material of said head beingrecessed between the bifurcations of said shank, to form a stopper rodsocket.

9. In casting apparatus, the combination with a stopper-head, ofnon-metallic refractorv material; of a metallic stopper shank includinga ti-shaped body having its bight imbedded in said head and itsbifurcated ends projecting therefrom; said bifurcated ends beingprovided with transversely extending holes, in coaxial relation; therefractory material of said head being recessed between the bifurcationsof said shank, to form a stopper rod socket.

10. In casting apparatus, the combination with a stopper-head, ofnon-metallic refractory material; of a metallic stopper shank includinga U-shaped body having its bight SAMUEL MQFARLAND.

Witnesses ARTHUR R. YEASLEY, C. B. HATFIELD.

